Excellus BCBS searching for owners of uncashed checks

Wednesday

Apr 26, 2017 at 9:56 AM

Overall, individuals and companies in the Finger Lakes region have not cashed more than $735,000 in checks.

By Julie Sherwood jsherwood@messengerpostmedia.com

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield is looking for owners of “Unclaimed Funds.” More than 12,000 individuals and companies in New York state have not cashed more than $2.66 million in checks issued by Excellus Health Plan, including under its company name, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS).

This isn’t money left in their pockets, but is in the form of unclaimed checks issued in 2013 to members and providers. You can find the complete list of names of people and companies with checks to claim at excellusbcbs.com/unclaimedfunds .

Printed legal notices listed by county will be placed on either April 26 or April 27 in regional daily or weekly newspapers across New York state. Overall, individuals and companies in the six-county Finger Lakes region have not cashed more than $735,000 in checks. The six-county Finger Lakes region includes Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne and Yates counties.

Every year, the state requires insurers like Excellus BCBS to make a list of unclaimed checks that are at least three years old. The names are then placed in advertisements in local papers in an attempt to find the people who have money to claim. If the property is not claimed by the end of August, the money is then turned over to the state Comptroller.

“This is money that was paid for claims or refunded premiums. If the money remains unclaimed it will go to the state,” stated Christopher Booth, president and chief executive officer. “It rightfully belongs to our members or providers and we want to make sure they have one more chance to claim it before it goes to the state.”

Most of the funds that have yet to be redeemed were allocated to Excellus BCBS members and providers. Checks may not have been cashed for a number of reasons. The member may have moved and not left a forwarding address, a member may have died, or the member simply forgot about the money.